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101 Boulevard Montparnasse
Paris Feb 20. 1871

Dear ones at home.
During the siege I sent two letters home by balloon. I also sent one by mail immediately after the armistice all of which I hope you have received. 

If I had gone home and remained during the siege or even hone to England I would have been the gainer, yet now it is passed I ought not to regret it as the knowledge one gains by being an eye witness in such a case is invaluable. Yet I assure you that if ever again in my life I happen to be placed in similar circumstances I'll not remain longer than the packing up of my clothes requires. Most all those whose constitutions were not strong gave out under the fatige and during the latter part of the siege funeral processions were to be seen everywhere. Babes and young children suffered the most. The smallpox raged in every part of the city and as the winter was exceptionably rigorous and fuel being extremely scarce thousands of the unfortunate victims of the small pox died because their appartments could not be warmed which is so necessary to keep the disease from striking in. The miseries were augmented also by the bombardment which continued during the last month of the siege. The city covers so great an area that certain quarters only could be reached by the Prussian shells. I am so unfortunate as to live in the bombarded quarter yet no shell touched the house although the fell on all sides. I never passed so miserable a night in my life as the first night of the bombardment which was the most severe of all, I lay in my bed and heard the shells howling through the air and bursting in all directions all night long. Sometimes they would strike and burst so near I could smell the powder from the explosion, and once I heard a women screach near by as though she had been wounded. Not as many were killed as